


Night Terrors

by badassbutterfly1987



Category: The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: Corporal Punishment, Dysfunctional Family, Gen, Mind Manipulation, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Physical Abuse, Sleep Paralysis Demon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:48:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29073579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badassbutterfly1987/pseuds/badassbutterfly1987
Summary: Madrigal doesn't actually hate his youngest cousin. But he is an annoyance and Madrigal decides to put him in his place.AKA Madrigal imitates a sleep paralysis demon to feed on 12-year-old Thomas
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Night Terrors

**Author's Note:**

> Madrigal's 'fear-form' is influenced by the cryptid the rake and the effects are based on typical sleep paralysis stories.

It was something of an open secret that the boy was born of Margaret LeFay. Anyone in the White Court would have considered it sensible to dispose of a bastard hybrid resulting from an ill-conceived partnership with one of their natural enemies. Except Lord Raith had, for whatever reason, chosen to keep his youngest child alive. The Malvoras especially whispered about it when the White King supposedly couldn’t hear them.

Madrigal doesn’t actually hate his youngest cousin. In fact, Thomas can be quite amusing in the way only a child can be. The problem was that the boy is a constant reminder of his status, or lack thereof, in the White Court. Madrigal’s nature as a fear-eating Raith makes him something of an oddity. His Malvora-like preferences fray his ties with his family, and his Raith lineage means he can gain no political power within House Malvora. In being allowed to live and grow up with House Raith, Thomas is already being shown favoritism. He isn’t mistreated or pushed to the side. This _half-breed_ seems more part of the family than Madrigal himself. It doesn’t help that the boy occasionally shows a fierce cleverness that irritates him for the reminder of Madrigal’s own lacking political skills.

So, at some point a plan forms in his mind. He knows there are plenty of reasons not to. It will be a petty act that won’t actually change anything. Envy and anger rarely lead to smart decisions. The White Court frowns on feeding from young children, even if it isn’t outright forbidden. Worst of all, Lord Raith might disapprove.

But Madrigal is hungry and there is a cruel satisfaction in making the boy learn his place early and that functions as reason enough.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thomas wakes in the middle of the night. His thoughts are still fuzzy from sleep. For a moment, he thinks he sees a person standing in the doorway, maybe one of his siblings. Then, like a mirage, the image alters and Thomas sees something that he can only call inhuman.

The unnaturally pale creature has an emaciated form with spindly arms and legs. Where its mouth should be is a dark gaping void. The pallid being shifts down to crouching on all fours. It’s slow movements is disturbingly reminiscent of a spider.

Thomas wants to run, to hide someplace this _thing_ can’t find him. _But he can’t move_. Thomas’ body is limp and his muscles won’t respond to his desired movements. He tries to scream but the only sound that slips out is a strangled gasp.

The pale creature now stands at the foot of his bed, its elongated fingers digging into the bed posts. Slowly, it crawls onto the bed and its cold, dead eyes stare unblinking.

 _‘Please, please stop,’_ Thomas thinks. _‘Just go away.’_

It lifts its long thin hand and pauses. For a brief moment Thomas hopes it is changing its mind. But then it makes a low sound like a chuckle and Thomas’ brief hope dies with it. The pallid figure moves forward with the grace of a serpent.

It hovers over him as if savoring the moment. Then the creature lowers itself down and wraps its spindly limbs around him. It curls around him in a mockery of an embrace. There is no part of him the creature doesn’t touch. The weight of it is crushing. Thomas tries to scream, to call for Lara or his father. But no sound escapes him. The weight of his helplessness finally hits him and he breaks down into tears.

The creature, almost gently, presses its mouth against Thomas’ neck; then it breathes in.

Thomas can’t breathe. He is hyperventilating and crying and there is no air in his lungs. The sheer terror of the situation fills him and he thinks this is what drowning must be like. The monstrous beast shudders with something like pleasure. Its hold tightens and almost grinds against him, as if wanting to absorb Thomas into its body.

Thomas’ vision is getting darker and a strange numbness spreads through him. Bit by bit the terror drains away and nothing is left. There is only emptiness but it doesn’t worry him. He can’t think much of anything really.

He falls into the silence of the darkness.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Madrigal was initially in a good mood the next morning. He had nearly taken too much from Thomas but had regained control in time.

The boy had been drained of energy from the night’s event. His sisters noticed that he was quieter than usual but he evaded their questions. Despite their worry, none of them seemed to suspect Madrigal. Perhaps he wouldn’t get into trouble after all!

It was barely an hour after breakfast that he was called to Lord Raith’s office.

Madrigal notices that his uncle (even after so much time, it’s hard to think of him as family) is sitting very still. He projects an outward calm, but Madrigal recognizes the predator waiting to pounce. He keeps his head bowed, displaying absolute obedience. He was such an idiot to think there wouldn’t be consequences.

“Did I give you permission to feed on my son?”

“No, my Lord,” Madrigal replies feebly.

He shrinks under the cold gaze. He wants to curl into himself and hide. It is a special skill of Lord Raith, the ability to invoke fear in a fear-eater.

“The boy could have died.” The voice is a little more irritated, admonishing even.

Perhaps it is the fear that drives him to push back a little, a pathetic attempt at defense. Madrigal bristles at the words, the implication that he lacks control over his Hunger, that the boy has any real _value_.

“It’s not as if the bastard is actually—”

Madrigal breaks off hard before saying ‘important’. True or not, Lord Raith had made the decision to keep Thomas and Madrigal had just implied disagreement with his lord and king. Disagreement suggests dissent, and dissent is a mere step away from defiance.

Lord Raith slowly rises from his chair. Each step is steady, hiding the implied rage beneath the surface. He holds his hand out, a silent request for his nephew’s arm. Madrigal cringes but doesn’t defy his lord. Madrigal feels the bone _break_ in two. He thinks he hears a horrible wailing among the agony. It takes him a moment to realize that it must be him.

“I trust that no further punishment is required.” Lord Raith’s voice still has the same deadly calm.

Madrigal nods, only able to whimper. Lord Raith steps over him and leaves him moaning in pain, curled up on the office carpet.

(Later Madrigal will recognize the irony; in an attempt to put the boy in his place, he was instead reminded of his own)

**Author's Note:**

> While Madrigal isn't what I would consider a strong player in White Court politics, I do think that he's the exact type of person to take his issues out on someone weaker. 
> 
> Lord Raith's fondness for young Thomas because he's still a little attached to Margaret is just a headcanon of mine but I do think it helps explain how Thomas survived to adulthood.


End file.
